A Waki or not a Waki? HELP!

S

steponmytoes

Joined
Sep 5, 2012
Messages
78
As you can see, I'm new here and I could really use some help with the problem I'm having.

The Swamprat Waki was one of my grail knives (grail short sword I guess) for a long time. I finally got a hold of one on eBay for a decent price. The question now is whether it's real or not... the fit and finish are all excellent but I would feel really stupid to have paid a sebenza sized sum for a non SR-101/Bussekin blade. I haven't heard of any fake Swamprats going around, but you never know these days.

I guess the reasons I am having some doubts are:
1. This blade is heavily modded and the protective coating and logos have all been grinded out (which is why I bought this in the first place but also makes it difficult to determine the origin of the blade).

2. I have never handled a Waki before and this thing feels lighter than it should. I have read reviews saying how surprised people were at the hefty weight of the knife. For me, it feels very light. The balance point is about a quarter inch above the handle (I guess it feels kind of handle heavy rather than blade heavy).

3. The pommel has also been modified, the tell tale crescent moon pommel has been completely grinded down.

The main reason I'm not in panic mode trying to return this thing is because it is SCARY sharp. I tested the blade on a piece of paper and it split like the red sea. It reminds me of a Mora knife, which doesn't feel all that sharp (thumb test) until you actually cut something (a lot of carbon knives have that same kind of feel to me).

A secondary reason is that I've been in communication with the Seller and he seemed very upfront and honest about everything.

In any event, I don't know how these pics are going to come out but I would definitely appreciate any help you all could give. Thanks in advance.

fulllength_zps857b375f.jpeg



handlecloseup_zpse49e8460.jpeg


pommel_zpsfb769239.jpeg
 
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Just by the photo's it looks right to me, but yea, heavily worked over. I see those same dimply marks on stripped SR101 of mine. The handle looks right as well.
 
It looks like the real deal based on your pictures, and yes, it has been heavily modified. At this point, the ONLY way to know for sure if it is real would be to remove the scales and see if there is anything underneath. The Busse shops usually mark them under there. However, if the scales were removed for the modifications, this may not help as those marks may have also been removed.

Unfortunately, with how heavily modified this blade is, there likely isn't any good way to confirm authenticity beyond that.

HTH.
 
Looks legit to my eyes also. As Dwayne said, the texture of the steel looks similar to other stripped blades I've had. Scales look good also
 
There were some fake Waki's on fleabay last year posted from seller here in Oklahoma. They were not mods but made to look more original. Your Waki looks real but modified for sure.
 
I want to remember that those were Busse AK-47's from the guy in Oklahoma, might be the cement fumes getting in the way though. :p
 
leatherman said:
I want to remember that those were Busse AK-47's from the guy in Oklahoma, might be the cement fumes getting in the way though. :p
Click to expand...

Your glue fumes must be the same as mine that is what I remember as well.





To the op, . It looks correct to my eyes.
 
It's definitely a fake!:eek:
But take heart, I can dispose of it for you. ;)
Hell, I'll be nice, I'll pay for the postage :p
 
Thank you all for the input, and thank you to whoever moved my thread to the right part of the forum (should've posted here in the first place). The more I handle this thing, the more certain I am of its authenticity. It's pretty hard to fake high carbon steel. It's just the point of balance that makes it feel a bit strange to me. This thing is really meant for tactical use more than anything else imho. The balance makes it easy to change direction or slice but it's a little too thick to be a machete and too thin to be a true chopper... never would use it for anything close to tactical, but somehow it just feels nice to have (like a lot of toys we all have I guess).

As for eBay/Fleabay, I feel very, very lucky to have come out of it alright. The very reason I joined this forum was to get my hands on a ZT 561 (thanks, Kershawguy). There was never any doubt in my mind that I would be getting the real deal. I'm thankful for this experience because I feel like we might start to see a lot of higher end fakes coming from god knows where (China, yes but also right here in the good ole U.S.A.). I think I'm going to stick to the original mfgr or this forum from now on...just not worth the stress and doubt.
 
Ordering straight from the manufacturer is always best bet, but don't overlook longtime members in good standing to find those out of production blades that you have to have!
 
It looks authentic; the blade shape and handle look consistant. Even though it has been modified, it still looks real. I've always thought of grinding out the horns off my waki to lighten it up a bit. Good find.
 
A big reason I took a chance bidding on this blade was the flattened pommel. I've seen some with rounded edges like the Rucki, but not flat. I think the crescent shaped butt on the original waki helps keep your hand from slipping, it's just the prongs that don't have that much utility. I'd be interested to know how it goes if you do modify it (and what power tools you have to use to grind that thing down). My apartment's been missing a commercial belt grinder...
 
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